Tag: Brock Lesnar

Reports: Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar a free agent

According to numerous reports, former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar’s WWE contract is done and he’s now a free agent.

Former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Brock Lesnar[/autotag] is apparently back on the market.

The 43-year-old Lesnar, a former NCAA wrestling champion at the University of Minnesota, has been a combat sports superstar in both the real and predetermined versions.

In recent years, he’s plied his trade with World Wrestling Entertainment. But pro wrestling site PWInsider.com reported Monday and numerous sites confirmed Lesnar’s WWE contract has ended and he’s now a free agent.

Lesnar (5-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) won the UFC heavyweight belt in just his fourth pro fight when he finished Randy Couture in the second round at UFC 91. Lesnar headlined several of the biggest drawing events in UFC history during his main run. But he’s only made one octagon appearance since 2011, a win over Mark Hunt at UFC 200 which was later overturned due to a failed test for banned substances.

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While Lesnar’s athletic window is closing, he’s likely got one last good contract left in him, and he has a history as an expert player on playing different sides against one another to get the best possible deal. As recently as 2018, Lesnar got in the cage with Daniel Cormier to tease a title fight which did not come to fruition, before re-signing with WWE.

This time around, WWE has it’s most serious wrestling competition in a generation in All Elite Wrestling as a potential suitor. UFC president Dana White has said he considers Lesnar retired. At least one big name UFC fighter, however, has already expressed interest:

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Report: Brock Lesnar becomes free agent as WWE deal expires

Brock Lesnar’s WWE contract has expired according to a report and the megastar is a free agent.

The biggest free agent unsigned free agent isn’t Jadeveon Clowney. Nope, not after a report Monday that Brock Lesnar’s contract with WWE has expired.

Arguably the biggest name in pro wrestling is on the market. Could this simply be a ploy to drive up Lesnar’s price with WWE or could the former UFC star and wrestling champion have other plans?

It is impossible to read what could be on the horizon for Lesnar. As the story goes, Lesnar and WWE have come to similar impasses with their biggest draw signing and returning.

That said, his “advocate” in storylines, Paul Heyman, has just been teamed with rival Roman Reigns. Of course, that pairing would be perfect for a program down the road pitting Heyman’s allegiance and ties to Lesnar.

According to PWINSIDER, Lesnar’s million-dollar contract expired and neither side has reached out to negotiate. Lesnar is free to work AEW or UFC as he wishes.

 

Remembering the Vikings training camp fights of the past

Here are three memorable Vikings training camp fights.

It’s a somewhat rare occurrence, but it happens.

Tensions can run high in training camp as many players try to make the roster or show that they are among the best on the team. Sometimes, that can lead to a fight breaking out, even if it’s between players on the same team.

Sure, these fights usually aren’t too bad. Maybe altercation or kerfuffle are better ways to describe what actually happens when teammates or opponents square off in training camp.

The Vikings have had their share of training camp fights in the past. Here are three notable ones, followed by an explanation of each from Vikings Wire.

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Twitter Mailbag: Dana White vs. Jon Jones, Jose Aldo UFC title shot in 2020, more

Who’s right: Dana White or Jon Jones? Why is Jose Aldo getting a title shot? How is the featherweight division going to play out? Who is the G.O.A.T.?

Questions on your mind about recent happenings in MMA or the sport in general? MMA Junkie’s Twitter Mailbag is here – and this week it’s @mma_kings to answer:

  • Who’s take is accurate in the Dana White vs. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] back-and-forth?
  • How will the top of the UFC featherweight division play out?
  • Who should [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] fight upon his return?
  • What do you think of [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s recent “G.O.A.T.” rankings?
  • Why is [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] getting the next UFC bantamweight title shot?

Those are answered in the video above. You can also read on a few more topics below.

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Does Dana White care about his “bias” for Conor McGregor?

Quite frankly, it’s hard to prove flat-out, baseless bias. Over the years, UFC president Dana White has tacked up any potentially unusual opportunities Conor McGregor has gotten to the business upside – and justifiably so. At the end of the day, the UFC isn’t in the sports business. Sure, there are some sports characteristics, but first and foremost, the promotion is in the “making money” business. That’s what McGregor is – a walking dollar sign. White has openly used such reasoning in the past. You know when he says, “It’s the fight the fans want to see?” That’s usually true, but it also translates to, “Dolla dolla bill, y’all.”

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If Stipe Miocic is unavailable, who should Daniel Cormier fight for the UFC heavyweight title?

This is a question that I see asked often on Twitter and other social media platforms. I’m glad you asked. Unfortunately, there is no answer, because [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] has nothing left to prove. Determined to fight once more and walk off into the sunset, “DC” doesn’t need to fight another contender. That won’t do much for his legacy. He wants to edge [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] out 2-1 in the trilogy. The only other fight Cormier might take, though highly unlikely under the current circumstances, would be against [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]. Both fighters have seemingly crept away from the prospect of a third meeting in recent months. That said, there’s no fight that would help Cormier elevate his legacy than Jones, his bitter rival.

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What three fights would you book, if you were Dana White?

Great question, Michael. I think I know everything when it comes to matchmaking and who should fight who. Faced with this question, I’m stumped. There are so many great options, but here are my three.

  1. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]: This fight needs to happen – NEEDS to happen. What a shame it’d be if we lose out the opportunity to see a peak rivalry-driven-yet-merit-based championship fight. Things are getting messy in negotiations, but I’m still hoping this one can get done (in real life). Also, I included this in an attempt to put forth a realistic matchup before this Top 3 goes off the rails.
  2. [autotag]Brock Lesnar[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]: All right, this one is a bit fantastical, I know. But given your scenario parameters, I don’t think it’s unfair I imagine myself as the best negotiator in MMA history. Anyway, a Lesnar vs. Ngannou matchup would understatedly be something to behold. Two absolute freak individuals who would probably push the limit of the most shared weight inside the cage. It’s the closest thing to an out-of-this-planet experience as we can get. Ngannou wants a big matchup – and I mean, Brock Lesnar has returned from retirement before, right?
  3. [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag]: Yes, I’m a sucker for this one. Hear me out, though. This fight doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t have to. It makes cents – and a lot of dollars, too. McGregor vs. Silva would be uncharted territory. You’d be hard-pressed to find a fight in the history of the sport between two bigger draws – and that could be done without compromising an entire division or two. Yup. Say what you want, but I’m here for it.

To ask a question of your own, follow @MMAjunkie on Twitter and let us know.

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Tyson Fury still open to crossing over to UFC … at some point

Tyson Fury says he has spoken to UFC President Dana White about crossing over to MMA but he has unfinished business in boxing.

Tyson Fury has a lot on his plate at the moment, most notably a third fight with Deontay Wilder when the coronavirus pandemic allows it. That could be followed by an all-British showdown with Anthony Joshua. And Fury he’ll probably give professional wrestling another go.

One more possibility down the line? A foray in the UFC. He said during a chat with Kugan Cassius on his Instagram Live workout that he has spoken to UFC President Dana White on the subject.

Fury has trained with UFC middleweight Darren Till.

“I’ve had plenty of conversations with Dana White about potentially having a fight with one of the guys,” Fury said. “But, at the minute, I don’t need to fight UFC guys. … I need to clear up some of my own stuff [in boxing]. There’s a few guys that need to be fought in this era. I need to fight Wilder again. I’ve got to fight Joshua. I need to fight Dillian Whyte.

“I’ll fight anyone. And there’s a lot coming up, too, like Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois and Tony Yoka. A lot of fresh meat to beat on. There’s even fights like Luis Ortiz, whoever.”

Fury continued to reel off potential boxing opponents but then circled back to UFC.

“There’s so many heavyweights today,” he said. “Efa Ajagba, the Nigerian. He looks pretty good, big tall kid. Filip Hrgovic, he looks amazing, too. Oleksandr Usyk. Derek Chisora, he’s in the mix. There’s so many good heavyweights out there to be fought and fights to give the fans.

“Until then, I don’t need a fight with Francis Ngannou. I don’t need Stipe Miocic, Brock Lesnar, whoever. I don’t need these guys to fight in a crossover match right now. When I’m finished what I’m doing in my own career, we can look at something like that.”

There is no telling precisely when or where Fury-Wilder III will take place because of the pandemic. Promoters are shooting for the fall and reportedly are considering sites outside the U.S. and U.K., including China and Australia.

Free fight: Watch Alistair Overeem dismantle Brock Lesnar with brutal body shots at UFC 141

Alistair Overeem didn’t disappoint in his UFC debut as “The Demolition Man” demolished former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 141.

[autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] entered the UFC with a ton of momentum and he didn’t disappoint.

Overeem (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) faced former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Brock Lesnar[/autotag] at UFC 141, and the “Demolition Man,” who had finished 10 of his last 11, showed no mercy.

After stuffing Lesnar’s first takedown attempt, Overeem cornered Lesnar and threw several big knees to the body in the clinch that had Lesnar wincing in pain. Shortly after, he went right back to the body again and connected with a huge liver kick that winded Lesnar as the former champion dropped him to the canvas. A few powerful punches later, including one vicious body shot, and the fight was stopped, as Overeem picked up his highest-profile UFC win to date.

Overeem went on to have several ups and downs in his UFC career, including a failed attempt to capture the UFC heavyweight title. More recently, after racking up two straight first-round finishes over Sergei Pavlovich and Aleksei Oleinik, Overeem was stopped by Jairzinho Rozenstruik in his last outing in a fight that he appeared to have dominated.

Now “The Reem” will look to rebound once again when he takes on Walt Harris in the UFC on ESPN 8 headliner this Saturday.

But before he faces Harris, relive Overeem’s memorable finish of Lesnar in the video above.

UFC on ESPN 8 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

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UFC free fight: Brock Lesnar stops Randy Couture to win heavyweight title

Relive Brock Lesnar’s championship winning performance over Randy Couture at UFC 91.

[autotag]Brock Lesnar[/autotag] quickly proved that he wasn’t just a pro wrestling star looking for some camera time in the UFC.

Just three fights into his MMA career, Lesnar (5-3-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) challenged heavyweight champion [autotag]Randy Couture[/autotag] at UFC 91 in 2008 and confounded the doubters by finishing the legend to win the UFC heavyweight title.

The two started out by exchanging positions in the clinch, with Lesnar eventually dragging the fight to the mat multiple times. He then rained down some heavy ground and pound as he secured a dominant opening round.

In Round 2, the pair continued battling it out in the clinch, and moments after they disengaged, Lesnar tagged Couture with a short right hand that dropped the champion. Lesnar swiftly followed up with a barrage of punches on the ground to force the referee to stop the fight and crown the former WWE superstar the new UFC heavyweight champion.

Lesnar went on to defend his title twice, as he avenged his loss to Frank Mir, then mounted an incredible comeback to defeat Shane Carwin as he proved his worth as a legitimate force in the toughest sport in the world.

Check out Lesnar’s championship-winning performance over Couture in the video above.

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10 of the greatest UFC championship fight comebacks

From strawweight all the way to heavyweight, these are 10 of the greatest comebacks in UFC championship fight history.

There have been some remarkable performances in UFC championship bouts, but some fighters had to dig deep to get the job done.

Some of the greatest comebacks have come in title fights, whether from a defending champion or a title challenger who showed the heart of a champion to weather the storm and turn things around for the finish.

From strawweight up to heavyweight, here are 10 of the greatest comebacks in UFC championship fight history.

Without further ado …

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Frank Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz – UFC 22
Sept. 24, 1999

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After defending his title three times, UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Frank Shamrock[/autotag] drew a young [autotag]Tito Ortiz[/autotag] at UFC 22. It proved to be one of the toughest battles of his career, as Ortiz really took it to Shamrock from the opening bell.

Ortiz dropped him with a straight right just seconds in, and the next 15 minutes would be a nightmare for Shamrock. Ortiz landed numerous takedowns, putting heavy pressure in top position, while landing brutal ground-and-pound.

In Round 4, Ortiz started to slow down. Shamrock pushed forward with hard leg kicks, but Ortiz capitalized on Shamrock’s forward pressure, landing another takedown. With less than a minute remaining in the round, Shamrock reversed position, unloading a barrage of punches on Ortiz who ducked under for a desperation takedown.

Shamrock used a mounted guillotine to get back up, dropping big hammer fists on Ortiz, who was holding onto his leg. A couple more shots and an exhausted Ortiz was unresponsive, prompting the referee to call the fight. Shamrock never gave up, throwing everything he had in the small windows he got throughout the fight, showing incredible heart.

Up next: Hughes delivers a moment for the ages

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Video: Was Brock Lesnar’s UFC win over Frank Mir the biggest of his MMA career?

What was Brock Lesnar’s biggest win in the UFC?

For all intents and purposes, [autotag]Brock Lesnar[/autotag]’s life in the UFC was short-lived. But his impact on the heavyweight division was fairly significant.

Lesnar won the heavyweight title in just his fourth pro fight when he took out Randy Couture with a second-round TKO at UFC 91 in November 2008. That win came just nine months after he was submitted by Frank Mir in his second pro fight.

But at UFC 100 in July 2009, Lesnar got a chance for revenge against Mir in a title unification bout. He didn’t disappoint.

The former WWE star devastated Mir with a second-round TKO. A year later, he defended his title again with a submission of Shane Carwin.

Lesnar’s UFC career mostly fizzled after that with a pair of TKO losses to Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem. When he returned in 2016, it was with a win over Mark Hunt, but one that was overturned when he tested positive for steroids.

These days, Lesnar is again one of the WWE’s biggest stars. It’s almost hard to believe his win over Mir came nearly 11 years ago. But you can relive that victory – arguably the biggest of his MMA career – in the video above.

What do you think about that win over Mir? Was it the most significant of his career? Vote in our poll below.

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UFC Fight Pass therapy: 10 classic events to keep you entertained during the coronavirus shutdown

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head picks out a 10-event UFC Fight Pass watch list to ease your lockdown blues.

With the sporting world at a standstill, resources like UFC Fight Pass are proving essential for MMA fans looking to get their fix during the coronavirus lockdown.

The UFC’s streaming platform’s colossal archive offers a huge range of events to sit back and enjoy. Love the old-school PRIDE shows? They’ve got those. Hankering for the days of the WEC? They’ve got the full archive. And, of course, there’s the entire UFC event archive.

It means you can build a watchlist packed with some of the best MMA you could ever wish to see, and more than enough to last you through the entire coronavirus lockdown.

But if you’re going to dive in, why not dive in with some of the most significant events in UFC history, with maybe a couple of hidden gems thrown in for good measure? Here’s a watchlist to get you started.

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1. UFC 1

You can’t really start a journey like this anywhere other than at the very beginning.

Put simply, the event is iconic. The school sports hall-like surrounds of the McNichols Sports Arena, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace calling the event the “Ultimate Fighting Challenge,” Teila Tuli’s flying tooth and Art Jimmerson’s one boxing glove will all live long in the memory.

But, of course, UFC 1 was all about one man and one discipline, as a scrawny young sibling of the famed Gracie family stepped into the octagon, beat three men in one night and opened the world’s eyes to the wizardry of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Sure, it was crude – the rules were virtually non-existent back then – but it was the start of what the UFC has grown into today. Such has been the evolution of the sport since then, watching the fuzzy UFC 1 footage now is the MMA equivalent of viewing cave drawings of how man first started using tools. But, crucially, it was both eye-catching and entertaining, and it serves as a handy reminder of just how far the sport has evolved since that day.

If you watch UFC 1, you’ll probably want to watch UFC 2, then 3. But we’ll leave that to your own UFC Fight Pass rabbit hole. Instead, we’re jumping forward.

Next up: The first BIG rivalry in UFC history.

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